Garage door operating mechanism



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GARAGE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 20, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet l 55 400 Saran 5w.

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GARAGE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Sept. 3, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 20, 1956 INVENTOR. wufiea J. 'EE/V Sept. 3, 1957 w. J. GREEN 2,805,059

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\ia amt?! l h [HUM zap GARAGE DOOR OPERATING MECHANiSh'i Willard J. Green, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Packard Bell Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a cornoration of California Application February 20, 1956, Serial No. 556,647

1 Claim. (Cl. 268-74) The present invention relates to an improved garage door mechanism.

Garage door mechanisms have heretofore been provided for opening garage doors pivotally mounted on the garage structure. Such mechanism usually involves an elongated actuating member having one of its ends attached to the door and the other one of its ends passing between rubber rollers with a motor having its output shaft mechanically coupled to one of such rollers to impart a longitudinal movement to the actuating member. These rubber rollers are constantly pressed into engagement with opposite sides of the elongated actuating member not only when the garage door is being moved to either open or closed position but also remain pressed against the actuating member after the door is open or closed. Because these rubber rollers are always pressed into engagement with the actuating member they develop flat spots during those times when the rollers are not rotated by the motor and, in general, the rubber is unduly fatigued and its life is shortened, and smooth continuous operation is not produced, particularly in those instances where the garage doors are operated a few times a day and the temperatures within the garages assume a relatively high value.

One feature of the present invention is that the rubber driving rollers are pressed into engagement with the actuating member only during those times in which the garage door is being moved either to open or closed po sition.

Also, since the actuating member in the prior art arrangements is constantly clamped between rollers, the garage door cannot be manually opened in the event of, for example, power failure.

Another feature of the present invention is that the garage door may at all times be manually open or closed without going to the trouble of releasing roller pressure on the actuating member.

Since in the present arrangement the actuating member is not constantly clamped by the actuating rollers, the actuating member serves to operate a self-locking latch which is effective to lock the door in closed position even though the roller pressure is automatically released after the closing door operation.

It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved mechanism for obtaining the features and desirable results indicated above.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism of this character in which roller pressure on an actuating member is automatically released immediately after the door is open or closed.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism of this character incorporating a novel latch which is automatically operated to lock the door after it has been moved to closed position.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. This invention itself, both as to its nited States Patent O organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a garage in which is mounted mechanism embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows, in enlarged form, a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure l but with certain elements shown in section and fragment.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken generally on the line 3-3 of Figure 6.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on corresponding lines 4-4 and 5-5 of Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a view taken generally in the direction indicated by the arrows 6-6 in Figure 2.

Figures 7, 8, 9 and 9A are sectional views similar to the sectional view shown in Figure 4 but illustrate the structure in different operating positions; and Figure 9A, in addition, shows a portion of the structure fragmented to reveal internal structure.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 4.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken generally on the line 11-11 of Figures 2 and 5.

Figure 12 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the motor base is hooked onto a supporting frame.

Figure 13 is a view taken generally on the line 13-13 of Figure 1.

Figures 14 and 15 are views like Figure 13 but show elements in different operating positions.

Figure 16 is a view taken generally on the line 16-16 of Figure 13.

Figure 17 is a sectional view taken on the line 17-17 of Figure 13.

Figure 18 is a view like Figure 17 but shows the elements in diiferent operating position.

Figure 19 is a perspective view illustrating an element of the latching element shown in Figure 13.

Figure 20 is a sectional view taken on the line 29-20 of Figure 17.

Figure 21 is a perspective view of a portion of the manually operated mechanism for unlatching the latch illustrated in Figure 17.

Figure 22 illustrates a control circuit.

As illustrated in Figure 1, a garage structure 10 has a garage door 11 movably mounted thereon using conventional means; and, as illustrated, the door 11 on each side thereof has a pair of integrally formed diverging arms 11A and 11B secured thereon, with such arms 11A and 11B being pivoted about the axis of a pin 13 secured on the garage structure. The door 11 thus pivots about the axis of a pair of pins 13 mounted on opposite side walls of the garage structure. The door 11 is moved from its closed position as shown in Figure 1 to an open position by energizing the electric motor 15; and the door may then be moved from its open position to its closed position by again energizing the electric motor 15.

The motor 15, when energized, serves to move the elongated actuating member 16 generally in its longitudinal direction while yet simultaneously allowing changes in its angular position as the door 11 is moved from its full line position shown in Figure l to its dotted line position, and vice versa.

The actuating member 16 is in the form of a hanged channel member (Figure 6) with a pair of flanges 16A and 165. ()no end of the channel member 16 is attached through a novel latching mechanism 19 (Figure 13) embodying features of the present invention to the upper end of the Wooden frame door 11.

This latching mechanism 19, under the conditions shown in Figures 1 and 13, is in its locked position serving to prevent manual opening of the door 11, but when such actuating member 16 is moved to the left in Figures 1- and 13 by the motor operated mechanism (de scribed later) the latch is automatically unlatched to permit the door to move to open position.

The latching mechanism 19 includes a first generally U-shaped member 20 bolted by bolts 23 to the wooden horizontally extending header structure 2 of the garage. This U-shaped channel member 20 has its legs 26A and 20B flared outwardly to serve as convenient guide members for purposes of guiding, if necessary, a second generally U-shaped member therein. This second U- shaped member 25 has integrally formed therewith a bolts 28 and 29 extend for fastening such channel member 25 to the upper end of the door 11. This second channel member 25 has its opposite legs apertured to slideably receive the locking pin 30. This pin 30 is normally biased in the direction of the locking aperture 20A in the first channel member 20 by a spring 31 en gaging dowel pin 32 on the locking pin 30.

A third generally U-shaped member 35 in the form of a cam embraces the locking pin 30 and is pivotally mounted thereon by the pivot pin 36, such pin 36, as shown in Figure 20, passing through apertured portions of the channel member 35 and the pin 30 and being retained by a friction lock washer 39. This channel member 35 has pivotally secured thereto one end of the actuating member 16 by the stud bolt which, as shown in Figure 17, passes through a sleeve 42 serving as a bearing member for pivotal movement of the U-shaped member 35 about the axis of the sleeve 42. The member 35 also rotatably mounts a roller 44- which is free to roll along an inside face of one leg of the second U-shaped member 25.

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Thus, as shown in Figure 13, while the locking pin 7 30 passes through the apertured portion 20A of the member 20 and serves to lock the door, this pin 39 is automatically withdrawn from the apertured portion 20A to free the door for movement upon movement of the actuating member 16 to the left as progressively illustrated in Figures 15 and 14. Similarly, when the actuating member 16 is moved to the right to close the door, the latching mechanism 19 is automatically locked and the parts progressively move as indicated first in Figure 14, then in Figure 15 and then finally in locked position shown in Figure 13.

Optionally, the locked door at any time may be opened manually using the arrangement now described involving a bell crank lever 46 which is actuated by the rod 47 (Figure 20) to engage the lower extremity of pin 36 and move the locking pin 30 to the right. This actuating rod 47, as shown in Figure 1, extends downwardly inside the door 11 with the lower end of the rod 47 passing through an apertured guide 48 and being attached to a lever 49 connected to the handle 50. The rod 47 is normally biased upwardly by a coil compression spring 52 having one end bearing against the guide bracket 48 secured on the door 11, the other end of the spring 52 hearing against a ring 53 secured on the rod 47. Thus, a person may unlatch the door to permit opening thereof by turning the handle to thereby pull the rod 17 downwardly and pivot the lever 46 so that its free end engages the pin 36 and moves the latch pin 30 to the right in Figure 20 out of the locking aperture 20A.

Preferably, however, the handle 50 may be locked against rotation by a conventional key operated mech anism 55 which necessitates the use of a releasable key 56.

It is noted that when the door is unlatched manually it may be pivoted to open position since the actuating rod 16 is free to move, i. e., it is not clamped between the motor driven driving rollers which are now described in detail.

Normally the actuating flanged channel member 16 rests on the rollers 62 (Figure 6) and is not engaged by either one of the two driving rollers 66 and 67 (Figure 3). These rollers 62 are on a shaft 65 which has its ends journalled for rotation in the spaced bearing members 70 and 71 on the stationary frame member 75. This frame member 75 is bolted by four bolts 76 on a wooden support 78 secured on the carriage structure 10.

The frame 75 is of heavy gauge sheet metal provided with interned flange portions 75A and 7513 serving as supports for the various roller bearings, and such frame 75 is suitably apertured at 75C to accommodate the various rollers and other operating mechanism.

The electric motor 15 has a base portion 15A (Figures 2 and 12) provided with an elongated apertured portion 15C as to permit the motor to be hinged on a pair of spaced hooks 75D integrally formed with the stationary frame 75.

The motor 15 is thus pivotally mounted on the frame 75 so that the tension in the driven belt 95 may be adjusted. The belt passes over the pulley 92 on the motor shaft 93 and also over the large pulley 94 which is mounted on the shaft 95, shaft 95 being journalled for rotation in the spaced bearings 96 and 97 on the frame members 7513 and 75A, respectively. The tension in belt 90 may be adjusted by adjustment of the bolt 98 (Figure 2) threaded in the frame member 75. The motor 15, when energized, thus serves to drive the shaft 95 having mounted thereon the rubber roller 100 (Figure 3).

This rubber roller 100 is automatically pressed into driving engagement with either the roller 66 or 67, as the case may be, depending upon the direction of rotation of shaft 95, to in turn cause the corresponding roller 66 or 67 to move in driving engagement with the elongated channel actuating member 16.

In order to secure such automatic driving engagement, the rollers 66 and 67 are mounted on corresponding shafts 106 and 107, each having its ends journalled for rotation in a U-shaped carriage 109, the carriage 109 being pivotally mounted on the shaft 95. In order to compensate for Wear and also to permit desired movement of the rollers 66 and 67, the corresponding roller shafts 106 and 107 each has its opposite ends journalled for rotation in elongated oversized apertured portions 109A and 109B, respectively, in opposite legs of the U-shaped carriage 109.

In order to obtain the desired pivoted movement of carriage 109 in response to the direction of rotation of shaft 95, the carriage 109 is provided with a pin 109D (Figure 4) disposed between a pair of adjustable legs of the band 112. The band 112 partially encircles the shaft 95 and friction material 114 is interposed between the band 112 and the shaft 95. The bolt 115 passing through opposite legs of the band 112 serves to adjust the degree of friction in the friction coupling between the shaft 95 and the band 112. Thus, when the shaft 95 is rotated in the clockwise direction in Figure 4, the band 112 engages the pin 109D to cause the carriage 109 to rotate a slight amount about the axis of the pin 95 in the clockwise direction to effect a driving connection between the roller 100, the roller 67 and the channel actuating mem ber 16. Similarly, when the shaft 95 is rotated in the opposite or counterclockwise direction, the carriage 109 is likewise rotated a slight amount in the counterclockwise direction to effect a driving connection between the roller 1%, the roller 66 and the actuating member 16 to thereby move the channel actuating member 16 in the opposite direction.

It is desired to interrupt such driving connections when the actuating member 16 is moved to predetermined posi tions, namely a position corresponding to the door opening position and a position corresponding to the door closed position. For this purpose the opposite legs of the U-shaped carriage have projecting portions 109C and 10913 engageable with adjustably positioned abutments 120, 121 on opposite flanges 16B, 16A (Figure 13), respectively, of channel member 16. These abutments 120, 121 are maintained in adjusted position by set screws 125 (Figure 2). These abutments 120, 121, when engaged by the corresponding projections 109C and 109E, serve in operating switching means 130 illustrated in connection with Figures 5 and 11 for deenergizing the motor.

The switching means 130 involves a spring biased cam follower arm 135 which is pivotally mounted on shaft 136 having its opposite ends supported on spaced ears struck out from the frame member 75. A torque spring 137 Wound around shaft 136 and having one of its ends pressing against the frame member 75 and the other one of its ends pressed against the arm 135 serves to constantly press an inturned flanged portion of arm 135 into engagement with a cam portion 95A (Fig. 5) of shaft 95. The arm 135 has its lower or free end apertured to receive a bolt 140 which is insulatedly mounted on arm 135 to secure the lead 142 and to serve as one contact element of the switching means 130, the other contact element of the switching means 130 being outwardly extending opposite legs of a split ring 145 that encircles the shaft 68. Friction material 146 is interposed between the shaft 68 and split ring 145 so as to provide firm gripping of these elements while yet allowing slippage between the two.

This ring 145, as shown in Figure 11, has an electrical lead 148 soldered thereto so that under certain conditions current may flow from lead 142 to lead 148 through the switching means 130. These leads 142 and 148 are connected in the electrical control circuit shown in Figure 22.

As shown in Figure 22, the motor 15 has associated therewith a conventional sequence control which causes the output shaft of the motor 15 to rotate in opposite directions upon corresponding successive closing of the switch 200A. This switch 200A is a relay switch that is operated when the relay coil 200 is energized. A second relay switch operated by coil 200 is connected serially with coil 200, relay switch 400A and switch 130.

The coil 200 is serially connected also with a manually operable normally open on switch 202, and secondary winding of transformer 208 having its primary winding connected to source 206.

The normally open switching means 130 is connected in shunt with switch 202 to provide a holding circuit for coil 200 after the manually operable switch 202 is released (after a predetermined time interval) and returns to open position.

Thus, when switch 202 is closed manually the relay coil 200 is energized to, in turn, produce energization of the motor 15 through a series circuit which includes source 206, switch 200A and motor 15. The motor 15 continues to run in one direction until the switching means 130 is opened to deenergize coil 200, in which case the switch 200A is opened and the motor is deenergized. At the same time, switch 200B is opened to prevent reenergization of coil 200 even though the Wobbler switch 130 is reclosed. However, upon subsequent closure of switch 202 the motor 15 is again energized through relay switch 200A and the shaft of motor 15 is rotated in the opposite direction.

It is, of course, understood that safety switches as well as remotely located control switches may be incorporated in the system. Thus, for example, an additional normally open safety switch 210 may be serially connected with the coil 460; and such switch 210 may be placed on a portion of the garage door that is to become, under accidental conditions, in engagement with a person or automobile. When this latter condition exists the switch 210 is closed and the motion of the garage door is automatically stopped. This is accomplished since closing of switch 210 results in energization of coil 400 and opening of relay switch 400A to thereby open the holding circuit for coil 200. Likewise, additional normally open switches located at different locations may be connected in parallel with the on switch 202 so as to initiate a door opening or closing operation. Further, as indicated in Figure 22, a normally open relay switch 132 may be connected in parallel with the on switch 202. The switch 132 is operated by relay having the coil 134, and such coil 134 may be energized in conventional manner as a result of the transmission of radio waves from a transmitter located in the users automobile.

The operation of the system as now described, with the motor 15 deenergized, the motor driven shaft of course does not rotate and neither one of the two driving wheels 66, 67 is in engagement with the channel 16 and the channel 16 remains in a stationary position with a portion thereof resting on the lower wheel 62. Upon energization of the motor 15 through switch 200A the motor driven shaft 95 is driven in either one of two directions. Assuming the condition illustrated in Figure 4, energization of the motor 15 results in the shaft 95 rotating in the counterclockwise direction (Figures 3 and 4), as a result of which the roller supporting frame 109 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction (Figures 3 and 4) by virtue of the frictional coupling between the shaft 95 and the element 112. This pivotal movement of the roller frame 109 causes the roller 66 to be moved into driving engagement between the roller and the channel 16 to thereby cause the channel 16 to move to the left in Figures 3 and 4. This movement of the channel 16, of course, causes rotation of the roller 62 and its shaft 63. Such rotation of the shaft 68 causes the switching element 145 carried thereon (Figures 5 and 11) to be pressed into engagement with the other contact 140 of the switching means by virtue of the frictional connection between the shaft 68 and the element 145, to thereby assure the closure of this switch 130 while the cam portion on the shaft 95 rocks the arm 135. This switch 130, as described above in connection with Figure 22, acts as a holding switch to preserve energization of the coil 20 and the motor 15 even though the on switch 202 is released. Thus, the motor 15 continues to run, driving the channel 16 to the left in Figures 3 and 4, until abutment 121 on flange 16A engages the roller frame extension 109E and earns it upwardly so as to raise the roller 66 from the channel 16, in which case the motion of the channel 16 is interrupted and consequently the motion of shaft 68 is interrupted. Since under this condition the shaft 68 does not rotate, the switching element 145 (Figures 5 and 11) no longer follows the motion imparted to the cam operated arm so that the switch 130 is opened in further movement of the motor driven shaft 95. Such automatic opening of switch 130 causes the relay coil 20% (Figure 22) to be deenergized and, consequently, the relay switch 200A is opened and the motor 15 is deenergized. Upon subsequent closing of switch 202 the winding 200 is energized, the relay switch 200A is closed and the motor 15 is reenergized, but in this instance the motor driven shaft 95 is driven in the opposite direction, i. e. clockwise direction, to pivot the roller frame 109 in the clockwise direction by virtue of the aforementioned frictional connection between the shaft 95 and the element 112. Such pivotal movement of the roller frame 109 causes the roller 67 to be moved in driving engage ment between the motor driven roller 100 and the channel 16, and, as a consequence, the channel 16 is driven to the right in Figures 3 and 4 to again cause rotation of the roller 62 and its shaft 68 to, in turn, cause the frictionally mounted switching element to be pressed into engagement with the associated contact member 140, as long as the shaft 68 is thus rotated. The channel 16 is thus driven to the right in Figures 3 and 4 until the adjustable abutment 120 on the channel 16 engages the downwardly extending frame portion 109C to cam the frame 109 upwardly and the driving roller 67 out of driving engagement with the channel 16. When this latter condition occurs, the roller shaft 68 no longer rotates and the contact member 145 no longer follows the movement of the rocker arm 135 so that subsequently the switch 130 is opened and the energizing circuit for the motor is caused to be open. The adjustable abutments 12% and 121 on the channel 16 are so adjusted that the motor is automatically deenergizecl by the abutment 120 when the door is in correct closed position and the abutment 121 is adjusted so that the motor is automatically deenergized when the door is in its fully opened position. When the door is moved in its final stages to its closed position, the latching means 19 is automatically operated to a latched condition; and when the door is being opened in its initial stages, such latching means 19 is automatically opened, as described in detail above.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claim is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

1 claim:

Apparatus of the character described comprising a supporting member, a supporting roller rotatably mounted on said supporting member, an actuating member resting on said supporting roller, a driven shaft rotatably supported on said supporting member, a driven roller on said shaft, a roller frame pivotally mounted on said shaft, a pair of driven rollers disposed above said elongated actuating member and selectively interposable between said driven roller and said member, a frictional coupling between said shaft and said roller frame for moving either one of said driven rollers into driving engagement between said actuating member and said driving roller, said supporting roller being mounted on a shaft which is rotatably supported on said supporting member, a switching means comprising a first switching element and a second switching element, a frictional connection between one of said switching elements and the last-mentioned shaft, cam means on the first-mentioned shaft for operating the other switching element, and a motor for driving said driving roller and a control circuit including said switching means for energizing said motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,200,574 Davis May 14, 1940 2,430,729 Negri Nov. 11, 1947 2,751,220 Richmond June 19, 1956 2,752,150 Richmond et al June 26, 1956 

